Four Vietnamese women and one man have been arrested in the Maldives on allegations of engaging in prostitution, with one of them already deported.

According to Maldives Immigration, the arrests were made during a special operation conducted in collaboration with the police. The man is suspected of acting as an agent for the network, while the four women were allegedly involved in the activities.

Immigration revealed that three of the women and the agent were residing in the Maldives on work visas. Following investigations, one of them has been deported, while preparations are underway to deport the remaining four individuals.

This comes shortly after a similar incident on January 10, 2025, when Immigration arrested and deported two foreign women accused of engaging in prostitution.

Maldives Immigration has been actively addressing issues related to undocumented foreigners and illegal activities. In the past year, numerous measures have been implemented, including mass inspections and raid operations in Hulhumalé and Malé. The initiatives also included the collection of biometric data of foreigners as part of Operation Kurangi and the establishment of the Immigration Watch programme to enhance monitoring and enforcement.